


A Grand Romantic Gesture (Sort of)

by Perpetual Motion (perpetfic)



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: F/M, M/M, fury/coulson is the minor ship, written before the big Phil reveal on AoS
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-20
Updated: 2014-04-20
Packaged: 2018-01-20 02:40:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 861
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1493620
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/perpetfic/pseuds/Perpetual%20Motion
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Maria Hill has been known to have the occasional overreaction.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Grand Romantic Gesture (Sort of)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Kitsune_Scribe](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kitsune_Scribe/gifts).



> From a prompt by Kitsune_scribe.

"That was a bit much," Fury says as he watches Jasper and his team be brought aboard. 

"Not now," Maria replies as she finally stops white-knuckling her Stark Tablet. Her fingers ache like a bastard.

"Yes, now,” Fury says.

Maria crosses her arms and turns away from the loading bay, but she does not budge from her spot. “It was an overreaction,” she says.

"You think? Jesus Christ, Hill, we have scramble teams for exactly this scenario. We did not need to move the entire goddamn hellicarier to pick up your—"

"Fellow agents," Maria cuts in cold and sharp. "It was an overreaction. It won’t happen again."

"Goddamn right it won’t."

"Coming from you with Coulson up and walking around, that’s sort of hilarious."

"Hill—"

"He’s got a broken arm, three busted ribs, and he’s probably gonna test positive for concussion. Give me an hour, and we can have this out," Hill says.

Fury glances over Maria’s shoulder. The whole team is back on board, Jasper the last to board. He looks pale and weak, eyes clearly not focusing behind his busted glasses. “You’re gonna need to get his back-ups,” he says. My office. 90 minutes.”

"Yes, Sir," Maria replies, and they turn away from each other and walk in separate directions.

"She’s got your number," Phil says as he falls into step next to Nick.

Nick allows himself a single touch to Phil’s elbow, just to make certain Phil really is standing next to him. “Shut up,” he says, and Phil slides him a tiny smile that Nick plans to kiss off his face later.

*

Jasper wakes up with the brain fuzziness that tells him they’ve got him on Vicodin. “Fuck,” he says and the ‘k’ sounds funny, so he clicks his tongue a few times to repeat it.

"You’re awake," Maria says to his right.

Jasper turns his head, and it hurts. He squints against the light, and Maria reaches up and dims it until he grunts. “Thanks,” he says.

"You’re welcome," she replies. She’s holding his right hand. Jasper can vaguely feel the cast around his left. There’s an edge of pain in his ribs the Vicodin isn’t completely overcoming. 

"Did you drop the entire helicarrier on my coordinates?" he asks. "Or am I high?"

"You’re high," Maria says, and she ducks her head and squeezes her eyes shut for a moment. "And yes, I did."

"God, you’re fucking amazing," he says.

"I’m about to get my ass ripped off by Fury is what I am," she says, but she’s smiling as she says it, leaning over so Jasper can see her more clearly.

"Glasses?" he asks.

"Your back-up pair is on your roller tray," Maria says. "But you’re gonna fall back asleep in about thirty seconds, so I figured they could wait."

"But I can’t see how pretty you are right now."

"You drugged charmer, you."

Jasper closes his eyes, and when he opens them again, he knows they’ve been closed for at least a few seconds. Maria’s shifted a little. She’s staring at the doorway. “Maria.”

"Yeah?"

"Fury’s gonna yell, but he can’t do anything. You’re his number two, and it’s not like he didn’t pull some shit to get Phil back."

"I’m not thinking about that," Maria says, and she leans in again so all Jasper can see is her. He loves it. "I’m thinking about you. Scared the hell out of me, Jasper. You do it again, I’m taking your field privileges away."

"Ha, like you could. Well, you could, but you won’t. I’m awesome."

"You’re something," Maria says. She kisses him carefully, and he tries to kiss back, but his mouth isn’t really forming shapes right now.

"Love you," Jasper says.

"Love you," she replies.

*

Maria walks into Nick’s office with her head held high and her shoulders straight. She overreacted, and she’s prepared to eat that, and there’s no shame in walking into a room like you own it just because you fucked up.

Nick is leaning against his desk pouring two glasses of scotch. “That is your one dumb ass move connected to your love life you get. How copy?”

"Solid copy," Maria says. She takes the tumbler he holds out and takes a sip. "The good shit? For a dressing down?"

Nick snorts. “Like that was ever what this was gonna be. Don’t be a dumbass.”

Maria rolls her eyes. “Does everyone get one free bit of relationship stupidity, or is this a management perk you never told me about?”

"Technically, only management because I am management, but I can’t watch every damn kid in the field. That’s your job. And speaking of things we haven’t told each other—"

"I assumed you knew about us," Maria says. "That’s sort of what you do."

"It is exactly what I do, and I did know, but a guy likes to know when his number two and his friend has decided she’s maybe in love."

"No maybe about it," Maria says. "But you probably know what that’s like."

Nick grins, glancing at the picture on his desk of he and Coulson in the Rangers. “I have an idea.”

They clink glasses and drink.


End file.
